Seed-assisted in situ ZIF-8 growth on carbon nanofibers for enhanced microwave absorption

The design and preparation of excellent microwave absorbing materials is of great importance facing increasingly negative effects of electromagnetic (EM) wave radiation and interference. Combining metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanofibers is a valuable approach to improve microwave absorption performance. Herein, C/zinc oxide (ZnO) nanofiber composites were synthesized using the seed-assisted in situ electrospinning method, with the precursor being a zinc-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8). The unique porous structure and the heterointerfaces formed between C and ZnO facilitated the scattering and multiple reflections of microwaves. On account of the combination of interfacial polarization loss, dipole polarization loss and conduction loss, the C/ZnO nanofiber composites exhibited outstanding microwave absorption performance. The minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −58 dB at 7.5 GHz as well as an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.5 GHz was achieved. This work provides an innovative methodology for developing highly efficient microwave absorbing materials using a combination of carbon materials and MOF nanoparticles.